Since the early days of computing, data processing systems have been linked to users via communications networks. Initially, a host or mainframe computer was linked to user terminals. With the advent of the personal computer, "intelligent workstations" have been linked to host computers.
As more and more computing systems have become personal computer based, personal computers have been linked into Local Area Networks (LAN) which are managed by a server to provide client/server applications. These client/server networks can also be linked to mainframe and other computers.
Traditional LAN-based client/server networks, and most other computer networks, assume a near-ideal operating environment. In particular, LANs assume continuously connected users who are computer literate. Since the LAN connections between computers are hard wired, error-free reliable connections are assumed. Thus, the LAN-based client/server environment allows knowledge-workers and PC professionals to operate in a near ideal environment.
Unfortunately, traditional LAN-based client/server networks poorly serve the needs of important classes of users, referred to herein as "remote/mobile" users. As used herein, "remote/mobile" means "temporarily and intermittently linked", wherein temporarily means "lasting for a limited time" and intermittently means "coming and going at intervals, not continuous, or occasional". An example of remote/mobile users is point-of-sale terminals in a chain of, for example, 5,000 retail stores, where each point-of-sale terminal needs to connect to the headquarters central computer for short periods of time for communication therebetween, rather than continuously. Another example of remote/mobile users is a mobile sales force which typically uses laptop computers and connects with the home office for short periods of time from various locations, such as hotels, customer sites or cars.
Users of remote/mobile computers, such as laptop and notebook computers, point-of-sale systems, personal computers, personal digital assistants and the like are typically "transactional" workers rather than knowledge workers, and are not typically PC literate. They need to link to a central office on a temporary and intermittent basis to obtain information from the central office or to transfer information to the central office. The connections between the remote/mobile node and the data processing server may use switched wire or wireless connections. Accordingly, communications tend to be slow and unreliable.
Traditional LAN-based client/server systems have attempted to meet the needs of remote/mobile users by allowing remote dial-in to the LAN. However, remote dial-in has heretofore worked effectively only for small numbers of remote/mobile users, and has used a LAN-based paradigm which is not amenable to the unique requirements of the remote/mobile user.
A major breakthrough in remote/mobile computing was provided with the introduction of RemoteWear versions 1.0-1.4 by XcelleNet, Inc., Atlanta, Ga., assignee of the present invention. The RemoteWare systems provided a communication model which was specifically geared to remote/mobile environments. One or more RemoteWare servers can be connected to a LAN to control the exchange of information between a central site and hundreds or thousands of remote/mobile computers and their users and applications. The RemoteWare server provides information management, resource management, scheduling, communication services, information monitoring and control services needed by large numbers of remote/mobile users who are temporarily and intermittently linked to the remote/mobile network.
Communications between the server and the remote/mobile nodes are designed to keep connect time at a minimum. Thus, the connection cost is minimized and the time that the transactional worker needs to spend connected to the central system are minimized. Moreover, the system is designed to support low bandwidth and unreliable connections.
RemoteWare Versions 1.0-1.4 include an application which provides a remote transactional management system. The remote transactional management system, designated as "RemoteWare FORMS" includes a forms editor which is used to create forms with graphics, fields, text and bitmaps. Once completed, the form becomes an application that can be assigned to a remote/mobile users desktop. Once the form is assigned to a user's desktop, the system sends the form to the users to whom that user desktop is assigned. A forms node program displays the form at the node. The node user enters the required information on the form. The node user then posts the completed form which is automatically sent to the RemoteWare server. If routing has been enabled for the form, the user may forward a data set to another user and sends copies to others via a messaging service. The data may be viewed in the context of the form in which it was entered, and may be printed. The RemoteWare FORMS system is described in a publication entitled "RemoteWare FORMS and RemoteWare QUERY Reference Manual, Software Release 1.3", Copyright 1993, XcelleNet, Inc.
Notwithstanding the ability to create and route forms to remote/mobile users which was provided with the introduction of RemoteWare Version 1.0-1.4, there continues to be a need to provide improved methods and systems for automatically sharing information among users of remote/mobile computers.